This is my first post on this Board, and I just had to make comment on this Thread about USFA's. I have been collecting a wide variety of this kind of stuff since late 1979. Out at the Shot Show in Vegas I stopped by to talk to the USFA crew I believe in 06 where they took some pictures of myself which even showed up on their website. At one time I owned an original Bisley Flattop that had been expertly restored, but I sold it in 08 partially thinking I wanted to shoot one and a USFA Bislley FT would be a better choice. Later I sold a no finish original Bisley and was going to use the money for the USFA. Imagine my surprised chagrin when I went looking for USFA, only to find they were in business no more (I even called Turnibill). Since then while not a top priority I have seen only one USFA Flattop Bisley and that was a long time ago at Amoskeag where my bid through Proxibid failed to register and the hammer dropped, sold to someone else. That did not make me happy and Jason Devine got ear full of unhappiness. A Bisley FT has remained on my bucket list and as such I saw a USFA FT SA in 45 go at Cordiers (along with a bunch of others, all selling at the same price as the SA FT) in late June of 18. I was the under bidder on that one as there is a line in the sand on stuff and that a Uberti Bisley FT in the box was on the Retta Pass auction list for July of 18. So I am the proud owner of a Uberti FT Bisley in 45 LC. I felt it was time to pony up to the table and fulfill a Bucket list want so I stepped up to the plate and went for it for better or worse, (as those Bisley FT's are not made by Uberti nor anyone else at the moment and God only knows when another one will show up?).
Now to be a little more on topic about Uberti made parts in USFA's and the ambiguity in determining all American made ones. While I really liked the quality of the USFA guns and thought I might like to acquire a couple of them. After reading this Thread I have to say why bother trying to digest all of that information that only an advanced collector is going to become knowledgeable enough to separate the American from the Italian? If pricing is based upon that determination, it becomes a real big liability in having to learn all that stuff and possibly making a costly mistake. One suspects that sooner or later it will not really matter as a USFA will be a USFA. However my thinking after reading this Thread is why chase that rabbit down the hole, there are far better alternatives in the same price range as the USFA. Namely bonafide Colt SA 3rd Generations or even 2nd gens, you have a lot less hassle to contend with. Then there is having a gussied up Uberti for a steep price when you can have the plain Jane Uberti for a lower price. So unless you want the specialty of an original style FT SA or Bisley why bother?